Digest

Firefighters were called to the Palm Beach County Jail on Wednesday after a small fire erupted in a laundry room, authorities said.

A clothes dryer caught on fire about 8:20 a.m. and there was smoke in the room when firefighters arrived, said Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Don DeLucia. It was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries.

Only the inmates who were working in the laundry room were taken out of the building, said sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller.

DeLucia did not know how the fire started but he said that Fire-Rescue has been called to the jail's laundry room before, when lint from the dryers has caught fire.

Wellington

Driver crashes into SUV, suffers serious injuries

A 44-year-old man suffered serious injuries early Wednesday after he crashed into the back of an SUV on Lake Worth Road and U.S. 441, the Sheriff's Office said.

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue had to cut Johnny Batista, of Wellington, out of his car before he was flown to Delray Medical Center with head and leg injuries. He is listed in critical condition, the Sheriff's Office said.

As Batista drove west on Lake Worth Road about 12:26 a.m., deputies said his 1999 Honda Accord ran into the back of a 2007 GMC Yukon that was stopped for a red light. The Yukon's driver, Nicholas Marcus, 18, of Wellington, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

West Palm Beach

Police identify boy, 16, killed by Tri-Rail train

Police identified Earthell Allen on Wednesday as the 16-year-old boy who was killed along with his dog by a Tri-Rail train.

Police said Allen, whose address was not given, was walking his dog when he decided to cross the tracks at a section between crossings at the 1000 block of 36th Street to go to an IGA Foods store on the opposite side. A train struck them at 6:11 p.m. Monday.

Allen's death is considered an accident, police said. He was killed in an area of West Palm Beach considered a quiet zone, where whistles are not used, officials said. The collision involving the southbound train occurred during rush hour.

West Palm Beach

Traffic to be rerouted starting Friday for Sunfest

Downtown road traffic will be rerouted around Flagler Drive near the Meyer Amphitheatre beginning Friday to accommodate Sunfest.

Traffic on Flagler between Fern and Datura streets is already reduced to one open lane in each direction. Beginning Monday morning, Flagler Drive will be closed to all traffic between Banyan Boulevard and Lakeview Avenue, a city spokesman said.

Other closures starting at the same time: Evernia Street between Narcissus Avenue and Flagler Drive, Narcissus Avenue between Datura Street and Evernia Street and North Clematis Street between Lantana Avenue and Flagler Drive. They streets will remain closed until 7 p.m. May 5.

I-95 Update

The Florida Department of Transportation reports following on Interstate 95:

The northbound outside lane from 10th Avenue North to Southern Boulevard will be closed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Friday. Also, the northbound exit ramp to Forest Hill Boulevard will also be closed.

One lane of southbound entrance ramp from Forest Hill Boulevard will be closed 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today. One lane of southbound entrance ramp from Southern Boulevard will be closed 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today.

Three lanes in each direction from Sixth Avenue South to 10th Avenue North will be closed 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Friday morning.

Two lanes in each direction from 10th Avenue North to Southern Boulevard will be closed 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. through Friday morning.